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Taking the Electric Circus to Gaza Reported by Tara / Submitted 30-09-09 16:32 Badgers, butlers, pole-dancing bananas and as many different types of beats and bass as you can fit in one venue. This is no ordinary party — this is Electric Circus. Correspondent Tara spoke to performer and promoter Ruth James about her forthcoming extravaganza and the very worthy cause it’s raising funds for. Together with fellow performer Terri, the Skandalous! crew have put together a veritable feast for the senses. Fluorotrash, Naked, Slackers Convention of Brighton, Harringey Arts, Peppermint Hippo Lounge and many more are coming together on Friday 9 October for the biggest sexiest fancy dress London has seen in a long time. And with any funds raised going towards the Circus’s next mission to Gaza, they’ll be accepting medical supplies, blankets and circus equipment as payment — in fact, you’re welcome to haggle on the door. Read on to discover just what it is you’re haggling over… What is ‘Circus 2 Iraq’ and how did it first come about? A woman called Jo Wilding started the Circus 2 Iraq as she was in Iraq as a human shield and later with Voices in the Wilderness, an activist group. She was breaking the sanctions by taking medicine in and happened to be at a hospital where there was a little boy. There was someone blowing bubbles and the kid started laughing and that’s where she got the idea for the Circus. She got kicked out and came back to UK then started the Circus idea and they first went in Jan–March 2004. They did the tour and it was very successful, then came back and started fundraising for the second trip, which is when I got involved. Jo got pregnant and the plan changed as by then Iraq was too dangerous, so we went to the West Bank instead. How it difficult was it going in and out of West Bank? Getting into the West Bank was OK, but getting in and out Israel is hard. You get questioned and a lot of people get banned. I suspect it will happen to us but don’t know when! Do you go in via legitimate routes? We have to, it’s the only way. Once you get in you can then get to the West Bank on a bus. People think you’re crazy and tell you that you’ll be killed but they can’t stop you unless it’s actually closed. Every time we’ve been there’s been routes you can’t take ‘cos of closed check points. Like when you go into a festival to climb the fence but there’s no fence! Obviously to get into Israel there’s a big wall but once you’re in it’s easier. Last year people were kicking off all over West Bank supporting those in Gaza so there were check points everywhere. I got stuck at a main check point at Kalandia; I got caught in a shooting so had to get off bus and get back into Israel, but they wouldn’t let us back in, it was quite sketchy. Where did your interest come from? I moved to Egypt randomly when I was 25 and lived there for three years. I didn’t know anything about it until then but you can’t live in the Middle East without soaking it in. Lots of things happen when I lived there so it was quite a significant time. We were living in the Sinai, which is right next to Israel. When I went to do the Circus it wasn’t that big a thing as I’d already been a performer who’d lived in the Middle East. How did you first get involved in the Circus tours and how many have you done so far? I’ve been to the West Bank three times on tour and once to the north of Iraq last year, mostly to the Kurdish region. I only went to Iraq for a month so it was shorter, usually we go to the West Bank for six weeks to two months, so Iraq was a shorter trip and extremely intense. It was quite good though, there was beautiful scenery and the shows went down quite well. What are the greatest challenges you face and what are your biggest achievements to date? As we’re mostly women in the Circus the biggest challenge we face is actually doing tours as women in the Middle East. We’ve got a term in the Circus called being Maffed, from where you turn up and you’re nicked by the Mafia basically! It happens to an extent as women travelling anyway, when sometimes people have got ulterior motives, but the end result is not reaching the people who we want to reach, who are the kids. It can be hard reaching kids as women and not being able to sort things out as women. Achievements? Just the whole thing. Each time we raise the money and get there and do the show. The whole package — doing what we said we’d do on the tin. How many shows do you do on tour? Usually two a day, plus we do workshops as well. It’s a lot so I’m knackered by the end of it! How do you locate the groups of children you want to reach? We usually have more places we want to reach than we have time. We write emails to people and then via a process of emails and phone calls end up in a community centre or with a NGO. Maybe the leader of a village will invite us. By the end of a tour we get loads of calls from people asking us places and sometimes the places you want to go to the most are the places you just can’t get to so it’s hard. Sometimes it’s just not possible. You’re currently regrouping and getting ready for some new projects. What plans do you have in the pipeline? We’re going to be going to Gaza in December. This project is going to be a Circus project but also we’re also taking medical aid as part of a convoy. This is the most complicated one to organize logistically so far, as it’s just so difficult to get into Gaza. So how do you deal with it? With the Gaza thing, we try and tag along with a group that does know what they’re doing, in this case a group called Code Pink. They take delegations and then go back and spread the word in the States. Your website says there’s still a lot more help you need. What sort of help might that be? What’s the best way for readers to help you achieve their goals? Specifically relating to the next trip, funds! There’s always something to do if people want to get involved, be that writing a press release, visiting the Egyptian embassy, or making some juggling balls or poi. Some people want to help, they just don’t know how to get involved but there’s always something people can do. It’s invaluable to speak to people who’ve done things like this before. For the Gaza project we need kit to take with us. We’re always looking for more performers and money and people that can help with the mission of documenting it, blogging, doing mailouts and photographers. We always try and have someone with us documenting what’s going on, it’s a really important part of it. If readers don’t have any money and can’t come to the event on Friday 9 October, what else might they be able to do to help? If they don’t have money, they can come to the event anyway because they can bring goods instead of money. We accept goods, circus equipment and medical supplies as donations towards the event. You can find details on our website. Anyone can come — that’s the idea! We’ve been funding the project since it began by putting on parties. We all come from the festival world so that’s how we fundraise and make money. So are you going to do more events? We’ve got a massive event planned in Bristol, which we’re running in the fire station and police station in the middle of town. Two big events should hopefully cover it. We actually fund the Circus project very cheaply and usually have money leftover which we like to use to support other grass roots organisations we meet along the way. This time we’ll use it to buy medicine. We put on a big fundraiser about a year ago in Brighton that raised loads of money and was a great party, it was having it till six in the morning and we paid for the next two trips to Iraq and Palestine. We also took payment in circus equipment there — this was the first time we had done this and it worked! So we were well chuffed. You’re mainly looking for people with solid circus skills to come on trips with you. Why circus skills? What sort of in-road does the circus side of things give you when travelling to new and potentially dangerous shores? Basically for the people involved, it’s what we do. I like the Circus ’cos it’s not political. If you go into the world of politics and NGOs there’s Maffing all over the place. We want to do this because it’s good, we’re not just going and doing our thing and leaving, but we’re having a laugh with people. It’s a good reminder for people that as well as helping keep people alive, people have to live. Everyone has the right to have career aspirations or to go out dancing or have an operation. It’s a tiny reminder of your right to live your life. On the in-road, doing things for people’s kids goes a long way. People really appreciate that and it’s fun as well! What’s your circus talent? I do stilts and fire poi and a little bit of clowning. I’m a performer in this country but we don’t do that on tour. Is there a place on your trips for anyone without circus skills or would you prefer to keep the circus as the main focus? We listen to whoever gets in touch with whatever idea, for example someone is speaking to me at the moment who wants to do a graffiti project. They won’t be in the Circus, but I can help them with that and give them some contacts. I guess we’re open to anything really. You’ve got a huge fundraising event coming up at the Scala on Friday 9 October. What was the inspiration for this event and how is it all coming together? We did a kind of starter event for this at Inspiral in February. I was away but the rest of Fluorotrash ran the event and raised money. I then took that money and went and bought medicine with it. This time, we wanted to do a real show so we got Scala, where we can really do a proper show. I came back from Gaza wanting to go straight back there, so me and Terri have been organising it. We’ve got as many mates involved as we can blag and hopefully it’s going to be a good show and raise some money. Scala is a great venue for putting it on as it’s got such high ceilings. So that last trip to Gaza, was the first time you’d been to there? Was it like you expected? Yes, it was like you see on the telly, all blown up and blackened. I went in the convoy from England and drove there in a transit van. We drove to Italy and went on the boat to Egypt that took 5 days. The driving didn’t take long, just as long as it takes to drive to Milan but we then waited for a month in Egypt negotiating with the Egyptians. It was very difficult as only 22 of 105 were allowed in after camping for three days on the border. I felt terrible as it was a terrible situation. There was no reason for me to be voted for at all, as some of the other people were MPs or had run NGOs for 20 years. Then I had one of those weird hippy moments, I knew it was going be me. Would you do things differently next time? Yes I think we should have stayed longer there fighting. We started off fighting, but after three days people got hungry and tired and gave in. It was amazing to drive my van in and deliver the supplies myself. The rest allowed in were all NGOs or similar. I was the only person who drove myself there who got to do that. I can’t imagine how it would have felt to have been one of the people who did all that but couldn’t go in. Of course it’s not about you and about giving in — you’re representing a load of people who’ve fundraised so you have go back and tell people what you’ve done. But they couldn’t do that. I had just two days in Gaza, as that’s as all we were allowed. You have people following you everywhere. Every time I left the hotel to go to the shop I had someone follow me with a gun, but that’s normal there I think. There were other performers who weren’t allowed in, so I went to a bomb site where an F16 dropped a bomb and put on my stilts. I had to speak through a translator yet there was still a group of kids going bonkers. I had to give a speech so said I hope to come back with a full circus in winter, and one of the little boys shouted out “I hope we’re still alive then!” So just what sort of show are you going to put on at Scala next Friday? It’s going to be madness! There’ll be people hanging from ceiling and flinging themselves around. Butlers on the stairs and carrier pigeons waking around delivering letters. We’ve got lots of aerial stuff and banana pole dancing — there’s a girl who wears a banana suit and pole dances! We’ve also got some very good bands and DJs: Zion Train, Subsource, Far Too Loud, Mat Black from Coldcut VJing, Bobby Lost, Dick Trevor, the amazing Ryan Styles and a surprise person! And badger racing! Plus it’s fancy dress — freakish, free thinking and fabulous! Assuming all goes well, when are the set dates for your next trip? The convoy will be leaving on 4th of December. It’s a big convergence of convoys and Code Pink. We plan to enter on the 27th December, which is the 1st anniversary of the bombings that started last winter. It sounds like there’s going to be so many people there they’ll have to let us in! What’s the thing that sticks in your mind the most from your last journey? On day two I did a runner from the organized Hamas tours because didn’t I really like it and went with a Palestinian woman to the houses of three families who’d been bombed. There was one little boy, Amin, who was six, and had a colostomy bag on his stomach. I’d taken loads of toys as well as medicine — I was told I wouldn’t be able to take them in but I did anyway. Through the translator I asked: “Do you play football?” He explained why he couldn’t and looked really sad. Then I gave him a rubber dinosaur and he looked really happy! They’ve literally got nothing? Imagine, your house has been bombed and destroyed. You can’t rebuild it because you can’t get concrete. It’s going to be freezing in winter — especially if you’re living in a tent over winter, which lots of people are. So blankets are an easy thing to bring to the party! Share this article : : : Follow HarderFaster on For more information check out www.myspace.com/skandalouscrew and www.circus2iraq.org All images courtesy of Circus 2 Iraq and Skandalous! Not to be reproduced without permission. Electric Circus On: Friday 9th October 2009 At: The Scala [map] From: 22:00 - 06:00 Cost: £8.50 adv £12 on door, or - Haggle with us!! We accept medical supplies as payment, see website for details Website: www.skandalous.org Ticket Info: Physical Tickets from: Access All Areas - 2nd Floor, 30c Camden Lock Place, London NW1 8AF Buy Online: Click here to buy tickets More: The Skandalous! crew will be letting their hair down and spraying it all pink and blue for a full on night of beautiful chaos! With Fluorotrash, Naked, Slackers Convention of Brighton, Harringey Arts and as many randoms as we can bring along – Electric Circus, a belter taking place on the 9th October at Scala in London… The usual Skandalous! shenanigans of beats breaks bass badgers circus and mayhem will be accompanied by seriously top notch bands, foot stompingly good DJs, and maybe a banana pole dancing… ELECTRIC CIRCUSSSS Our aim is to tickle all of your senses and all of your emotions with a miniature indoor festival of LURVE! :0) This will be a Transylvanian Ball packed full of sexy, cutting edge performances from Dancers and Circus Folk from around the world, with music from some of the best bands and DJs the UK has to offer. Our manifesto is to enduce maximum fun and laughing while raising money for precious medicines needed by the people of Gaza. After our last event - a small affair @ Inspiral Lounge, Camden - we travelled with a Hope Convoy and took the money raised to Egypt where we bought the medicines and delivered them personally to a clinic outside Gaza City. This clinic was desperately in need as they are unable to receive important supplies any other way. This time: we’re taking the circus with us!! See www.circus2iraq.org for more info.... This event is brought to you by women who really like their freedom, and who reckon women like everyone else in Gaza should enjoy the same freedom. We do not give our money to a third party to do with as they will....we deliver directly to the people...it's the only way. The next Convoy leaves at the end of November…and we intend to be going along with the money you help us raise at Electric Circus.... So YOU and your bestest, maddest costume can make a difference!!! ;0) xxx Dress: Freakishly Sexy, Free Thinking and Fabulous! See YOU @ Scala, Kings Cross London on the 9th October 2009. You know it's the right thing to do!! Basically, get invovled. ***** The Line-up Main room Moosica: From Skandalous!, Fluorotrash and lots of our mates • The Mighty ZION TRAIN • SUBSOURCE (Exclusively Launching their new album Tales from the Doombox!) www.subsource.co.uk • DICK TREVOR • BOBBY LOST VS BUGS RAPLIN • FAR TOO LOUD • ATOMIC DROP • DJ MISS PINK • MISSODDKIDD www.myspace.com/missoddkidd • RYAN STYLES www.ryanstyles.com/ • EQUADOR 'Boylesque' Show! • FLUORATRASH Psychadelic Acrobatic Cabaret www.myspace.com/fluorotrash • PSYCHOLOGICAL ARTS CIRCUS • ERIAL C • CANCAN KNESS UP • RAINBOW COLLECTORS ***** Naked 'The Damn Sexy Party' room • SYBER SYMON http://www.myspace.com/sybersymon • BEN ZAVEN CRANE d.j set (Mojo FIlter) with Vj PRECIOUS RGB http://www.myspace.com/benzavencrane • JULIETA BLUE (Naked) http://www.myspace.com/julietablue • EVA - Hopi (Nano Records) http://www.myspace.com/hopi SEXY OUTFITS ENCOURAGED Visuals by Dottintheshark http://www.myspace.com/dottintheshark Photo Booth by Genie Korrigan http://www.artistsites.org/plumkinpiestudio Live Visuals by VJ Mouseonthetelly Face and Body Painting Make up and Hair Styling Set Design by Maia Desdunes maiades@hotmail.com Photography by Ben Jones http://www.benpjones.com and more to be announced! ***** Peppermint Hippo Lounge •With SLACKERS CONVENTION An Intergalactic Red Light District, watch out for our in-house mutant walkabouts and shadow dancers… * Speakers Corner Quartet * LIQUID ROSS * QDOS VS AARON AUDIO * LOCKS OF FUN hair salon * Roadkill Cabaret • Badger Racing • Dance with your Shadow Slackers Convention brings their very own brand of 'Breaks, Beats and Party Nonsence for the Discerning Underachiever' for an evening out at the Circus . . • RICHIE BALBOA (NSB) • LuQas (Dead Famous Records, Slackers) • PAV (Slackers, NSB) • DIRTBOMB (Slackers, Electric Playboys) • SIDIUS ***** Room 4: Secret Squirrels Rocking Chillout • NIK SEQUENCIE • ERIK THE VIKING • SICK BOI • MICKEY • MARK BEDOUIN Plus • INTERACTIVE THEATRE • PEEP SHOW • RANDOM ACTS OF BEAUTY Flyer: Region: London Music: Psy Trance. Minimal Techno. Techno. Breaks. Liquid Drum and Bass. Jump Up Drum and Bass. Jungle. Dancehall / Bashment. Reggae. Dubstep. Chillout / Leftfield. DJ's: DICK TREVOR BOBBY LOST VS BUGS RAPLIN FAR TOO LOUD ATOMIC DROP DJ MISS PINK PSYMETRIX MISSODDKIDD RYAN STYLES SYBER SYMON BEN ZAVEN CRANE d.j set (Mojo FIlter) with Vj PRECIOUS RGB JULIETA BLUE (Naked) EVA - Hopi LIQUID ROSS RICHIE BALBOA LuQas PAV DIRTBOMB SIDIUS NIK SEQUENCIE ERIK THE VIKING SICK BOI MICKEY MARK BEDOUIN Who's Going? (2) : Andy Force, Tara  Share this :: : : : Follow HarderFaster :: Other Features By Tara: Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden Telling Cosmic Tales with DJ Strophoria Tom Psylicious aka EarthAlien takes 50 Spins Around the Sun: Raising Awareness Through the Power of Music The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable. Comments:

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